She's Not Dead Romeo
by pageturner96
Summary: What would have happened if Friar Laurence was able to tell Romeo that Juliet wasn't actually dead? My alternate happy ending to this tragic play.


**This is just my take on how **_**Romeo and Juliet**_** should have ended. I don't own **_**Romeo and Juliet.**_

It was a hot Wednesday afternoon in the middle of July; the streets of Verona were relatively quiet. Death was in the air and in the gossip of the townsfolk. The fair daughter of Capulet had died in the night. It was an untimely death; the poor girl was only thirteen. The preparations for her wedding to the County Paris had quickly changed to the plans for her funeral. Little did the family know; Juliet was under the influence of a very potent sleeping potion. Friar Laurence had given it to her.

Balthazar, a servant to Romeo, heard the news of the death, and not being in on the plan, went to Mantua to tell his master about the death of his wife. Romeo was devastated. He headed for Verona right away, but not without making a stop at an apothecary in Mantua. Romeo demanded poison from the owner, in exchange; he offered a healthy sum of money. The owner, being a poor man, did as he was told, because he needed the money, even if what he was doing was against the law. With speed, Romeo and Balthazar headed to Verona; Balthazar having not a clue of Romeo's intentions did not know what was to follow.

It was early evening when Romeo arrived at the Capulet family tomb. Prying the doors open was not a task easily accomplished, but Romeo was a desperate man, and so he found his way in quickly. Romeo told Balthazar to leave; giving him what money he had left. Entering the tomb quietly, he could hear talking. He recognized the older man at once. Friar Laurence had been unable to get word to Romeo through Friar John, so he came early to the tomb, knowing Balthazar would have told Romeo that Juliet had died. The friar had decided that Romeo would come to see his wife. "Father," Romeo said, greeting the older man, "What has happened to my lady?"

A sound came from the doorway; Romeo moved to see what it was. As he moved, he was mumbling about punishing Balthazar for staying. It was a man, Romeo recognized Paris, the man Juliet was supposed to have married. He carried flowers and a sad expression on his face. Romeo realized he had come to mourn for the loss of Juliet. He was alone. Romeo stepped out from the shadows.

The sadness on Paris' face quickly turned to surprise as he saw Romeo emerge from the shadows. "Why would a man who was banished risk death by coming to his enemy's tomb?" he asked himself. He would send the villain who killed his love's cousin away, and then go to see Juliet.

Both drew at the same time. The fight was not to the death, but Paris lost his footing, and Romeo found his sword was in the man's heart. He placed the flowers on Paris' chest and left him outside the tomb. Romeo walked back into the tomb to find Friar Laurence once again standing by the body of his dear Juliet. When the friar caught sight of him, he motioned for Romeo to come stand by his side. The Friar quickly explained that Juliet was not dead; she was just in a very deep sleep. As the friar explained, understanding donned on Romeo; he pulled out the vial containing the poison and threw it across the tomb, shattering the bottle, and spilling the contents on the remains of a long dead relative of Lord Capulet.

Juliet began to stir. The signs came slowly at first, a color in her cheeks, a faster heartbeat. Romeo and Friar Laurence watched as Juliet awoke from her slumber, as if from a pleasant dream. The trio slipped out of the tomb. There was no time for a reunion, they had to get Romeo out of Verona before he was caught and put to death, before one of the townsfolk saw Juliet and assumed she was a ghost, or found out the truth about her death.

Romeo's vision had failed to show him that Paris had not come alone. Paris' page had witnessed the fight, and seeing his master in trouble, had gone to fetch the watch. It was at this moment that the chief watchman entered the churchyard and spotted Romeo, Juliet, and the friar. He paled considerably, thinking Juliet to be dead, and therefore a ghost. He also knew that Romeo had been banished by the prince. He did not know what the three of them were doing in the churchyard, or what they had to do with each other. He asked his fellow watchmen to get the prince as well as the Capulets and the Montagues. He would sort this out.

The prince, the Capulets, and Lord Montague all arrived at the churchyard to find the same odd trio the chief watchman had found earlier. Stepping in front of Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence began to explain what had gone on in the past few days. When he finished the prince asked both Romeo and Juliet to confirm the story. Both Capulet and Montague were staring at their children. Romeo broke the silence, "Father, where is Mother?"

Montague looked sullenly around the group then decided it would be better if he told everyone now. He told the group that Lady Montague had died from her grief over the banishment of her only son. The mood in the group became even duller.

Both Capulet and Montague, seeing how similar they were, and also how foolish their fight was, decided that it was time for this feud to be over. They shook hands and told the group that the feud was over, and that they were all friends now. The prince saw that what both men had said was true, and given that the death of Paris had been an accident, he pardoned both families, Friar Laurence, and anyone else who might have been involved. Romeo's banishment was lifted, and he was allowed to stay in Verona. The city of Verona was a better place after that day, and there were no more fights between the Capulets and the Montagues ever again.

**Hope you enjoyed it, or at least found it more pleasing to read that the real ending. Please review to tell me your thoughts on it.**

**-Pageturner96**


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